Scientists to Treat Disabling Headaches with Teflon Patch

The human brain. illustration: AFP
The human brain. illustration: AFP
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Scientists to Treat Disabling Headaches with Teflon Patch

The human brain. illustration: AFP
The human brain. illustration: AFP

Thousands of people suffering from a disabling headache condition could soon be cured by a patch of Teflon implanted inside the brain, The Daily Mail reported. The pioneering treatment is designed to block pain messages along a major nerve, and research suggests it is highly effective.

Data due to be published soon shows that nearly two-thirds of patients who had the procedure are now pain-free. The condition, known as short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing, or SUNCT, affects more than 10,000 Britons. It causes shooting pain on the side of the face, jaw and gums and often makes the eyes and nose stream. Sufferers are predominantly male and over 50.

It is not fully understood why SUNCT occurs, but it is thought to involve a disturbance in part of the brain linked to the trigeminal nerve, which controls sensations of pain in the face.
Julian Belsom, 50, from Folkestone, Kent, is among patients whose lives have been transformed by the operation.

He began suffering from pain in his jaw in 2014. It became so severe that he felt suicidal and was forced to quit his job as a night manager in a Tesco store.
The father-of-two, who lives with wife Annette, eventually had to sell the family home as they could no longer afford the mortgage.

He says of the condition: “It was like an electric shock and a bee sting at the same time. I was in constant pain every day. There was no respite and it stopped everything in my daily life.”

During the procedure, neurosurgeons remove a small piece of skull from behind the ear and carefully separate the trigeminal nerve, near the base of the brain, from the artery next to it.

They then place a small pad of polytetrafluoroethylene – the same substance used to coat Teflon non-stick pans – between the nerve and the artery, to keep them apart.



Photos Show a Filipino Couple Walking Down a Flooded Aisle on Their Wedding Day

Newlyweds Jade Rick Verdillo right, and Jamaica walk hand in hand during their wedding at the flooded Barasoain church in Malolos, Bulacan province, Philippines on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Newlyweds Jade Rick Verdillo right, and Jamaica walk hand in hand during their wedding at the flooded Barasoain church in Malolos, Bulacan province, Philippines on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
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Photos Show a Filipino Couple Walking Down a Flooded Aisle on Their Wedding Day

Newlyweds Jade Rick Verdillo right, and Jamaica walk hand in hand during their wedding at the flooded Barasoain church in Malolos, Bulacan province, Philippines on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Newlyweds Jade Rick Verdillo right, and Jamaica walk hand in hand during their wedding at the flooded Barasoain church in Malolos, Bulacan province, Philippines on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Jade Rick Verdillo and Jamaica Aguilar were determined to walk down the aisle on their wedding day. Even if it meant walking down a flooded one.

On Tuesday, the Barasoain church in Malolos, Bulacan province, Philippines flooded due to heavy rain. Typhoon Whipa had intensified seasonal monsoon rains in the Philippines, bringing widespread flooding.

The couple anticipated the risk of flooding, but instead of letting the weather dampen the mood, they decided to push through, as all marriages have their challenges.

“We just mustered enough courage,” said Verdillo. “We decided today because it is a sacrifice in itself. But there will more sacrifices if we don’t push through today.”

Aguilar waded down the aisle with her white dress and wedding train floating behind her through waters almost up to her knees. At the altar, Verdillo was waiting to receive her while wearing an embroidered shirt called a Barong Tagalog, worn during special occasions.

The newlyweds have been together for 10 years. The groom said, “I feel that challenges won’t be over. It’s just a test. This is just one of the struggles that we’ve overcome.”

Despite the turbulent weather, some family and friends made it to the wedding.

“You will see love prevailed because even against weather, storm, rains, floods, the wedding continued,” said Jiggo Santos, a wedding guest. “It’s an extraordinary wedding.”